"Roaring Of A Lion"

Hello!

We’ve had a pretty decent week, nothing too exciting. Well, Joe’s baptism date has been moved up a week, so that’s great! We’re starting to work towards the expectation of having a baptism every two weeks! Angelina will be baptized this Saturday at 4 p.m. We’re way excited about it because we’re starting to see the fruits of our labor, starting with her. We were able to put Hazel on a baptism date, so we are definitely starting to have a line of baptisms building up.

We had our Zone Conference and Stake Conference this past week, and that definitely helped us have a spiritually uplifting weekend. President Skelton and the Assistants trained us on being better teachers, about seeing what really makes the difference in teaching, and how teaching by the Spirit really does make the difference. Instead of just thinking of Sunday School answers as to how we can teach by the Spirit, President got us to think a little more about it, to really study and prepare in phases. The Assistants talked to us about how essential finding by the Spirit is, to be guided to the places that we should go to, and the people whom we should talk to. When I first got to the mission, the Assistants had given a training about "N.E.I.W.", how No Effort Is Wasted. This time, they added on a “C” to it. So, we should now be "N.E.I.W.C." missionaries! No effort is wasted, along with extending a commitment, always! That way, we have a higher chance of getting more new investigators.

On Saturday, we had a good lesson with a man named K.D. Unfortunately, he only speaks Mandarin, and it really was a struggle for me to teach him, even with a member there to help. So, we had to pass him to the Mandarin Elders. We were supposed to meet up with some Laotians but they never turned up!

Bishop Keith B. McMullin, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, presided over the Stake Conference on Sunday. President Lai, the Stake President, gave a powerful speech to the members about the progress on having a temple in Singapore. He stated that we had the numbers, but, he went on to say that the members were not pure in heart yet, that they did not yet possess the charity that is needed to have a temple in Singapore. He went on to say that it is only when the members learn to forgive, will they then truly have charity. He also talked about how abuse has no place in the home of a Latter-day Saint, and admonished anyone who might be behaving in that way. He warned that they had to repent. It was a wonderful talk. Elder Richards found Joseph Smith’s description of Paul, as he had seen in the vision, and it really does describe him! The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “He is about five feet high; very dark hair; dark complexion; dark skin; large Roman nose; sharp face; small black eyes, penetrating as eternity; round shoulders; a whining voice, except when elevated, and then it almost resembled the roaring of a lion.” That really does describe President Lai! Also, Toa Payoh Ward now has a new Bishop, Bishop Yow. Toa Payoh Ward was the ward that I served in for seven months before I transferred to the office.

Anyhow, we had a relatively quiet week overall I guess, but it was good. We’ll just have to see what the rest of the week brings!